Culture

Purchase a print from 100CAMERAS.ORG and with that, provide medicine for one child for one month!

100cameras empowers marginalized children to document their lives through photography and to create positive change in their own communities. 100% of the money from the children’s purchased prints is used to raise awareness and capital to meet physical needs and empower sustainable growth within their community.

My favourite project of theirs is the one at St. Bartholomew’s Orphanage in Kajo Keji, South Sudan.

I’m thrilled to have landed the cover of “Photo Comment” Magazine in South Africa! Thanks to the wonderful photography of PE-based Sarah Keogh and her team. Here is another shoot I have done with Sarah, who is very versatile and has a bright future ahead of her in fashion and food photography: Old Hollywood Editorial

Here’s something that’s on the circuit right now at “The Artscape” in Cape Town and promises to give you a great night of entertainment. Jeremeo Le Cordeur brings together a group of actors who present on stage a tale of what is:

“A love story, more or less”…

I go behind-the-scenes with some of the cast of “February 14th” and ask ten simple questions:

1. Why did you choose to do February 14th?

2. What is your role in the play?

3. How far from your character in reality is your character in the show?

4. What has been the biggest challenge for you in this role?

5. What would you say is the overriding message of the show?

6. How long did it take you to rehearse?

7. Do you believe in true love?

8. What was your last theatre role?

9. What’s in the pipeline for you?

10. Where can we find you if we fall in love?

Here’s what they had to say:

De-Wet Nagel as “Andrew”

February 14th is a great story that fuses two things I love in the character I portray – acting and music. My character is the music teacher and I get to play on my guitar. I was approached to do this play because I am a musician as well as an actor. Incidentally, I’m actually also a music teacher and I’ve been teaching drum-kit and electric guitar for nearly ten years now. I currently teach at La Rochelle High School in Paarl. The biggest challenge about this role is to make this character as real as possible and to deal with the situation I’m placed in as someone from my position would. As a method actor one could always see it this way; that I’ve been researching this role for ten years. I know that love is not a word or a specific action but the decisions you make and the actions that follow. Love is a choice. We’ve been rehearsing virtually every day for the last two weeks with a few five to eight-hour run through sessions. It’s quite a process to get the right feel and energy among all of the characters that are being sculpted and to fuse their different stories into one cohesive telling of the same concept and the different forms thereof. Yes, undeniably, unequivocally, yes I believe in love! I believe I’ve found my true love. Recently I cast for the roll of “Fernando” in Cardenio currently showing… other than that I do mainly films and a lot of performing with bands and in pubs as a drummer or guitarist.

Luke Tyler as “Daniel”

I’d been looking to do some theatre for a while, so when Jeremeo approached me I jumped at the opportunity – I’d heard a lot of great things about his previous shows. There are also a lot of really talented actors in the show so it is a privilege to be able to share the stage with them. I play “Daniel” who is an executive assistant trying hard to make his way up the corporate ladder. In terms of how far the character is from me in reality… well, we’re pretty different, but I can relate to his passion. I’d like to think that I’m as smart as he is, but I think he’d win at chess if we every had to play! Haha! The biggest challenge for me has been understanding the duality of Daniel’s mind… he tends to be a very analytic – ‘black and white’ sort of guy – but struggles with a part of him that is impulsive and tends to land him in a lot of grey areas. To me, the overriding message of the show is to appreciate the love you have and to make every day Valentines Day. Because yesterday is gone and tomorrow is never guaranteed. This being a series of vignettes, every group’s rehearsal times varied but for me it was probably about two months that I took to rehearse.

I absolutely believe in finding true love, but often it comes when you least expect it! My last theatre role was when I played “Barry Balding” in my tenth grade One Act Plays! So its been a while! Haha! It’s been a pretty busy ‘silly season’ for me so I may take a small break after this and then who knows? Maybe some more theatre!

Clayton Evertson as “Wayne”

I chose to do this play because I saw it as an opportunity to showcase love in a non-stereotypical way. I play an amateur boxer, called “Wayne”. Wayne is my extreme. My biggest challenge has been understanding Wayne’s thought processes with regards to him overcoming his obstacles and his psychological state of mind. For me the overriding message of this show is that love can be good, bad and unfortunate. I’ve been rehearsing since November 2012. Do I believe in finding true love? Definitely. Theatre saw me last when I played “Judas” in a play written by Peter Krummeck called Judas, betrayer or betrayed? In the pipeline for me right now is my one man play, Forgive the Devil, written by myself and directed by Abduragmaan Adams. It will premiere at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown later this year.

Richard Lothian as “Owen”

Being a romantic at heart I was intrigued by the idea of exploring the theme of love. I feel we all have our own version of what love is and I’m excited by the challenge of putting such an individual and universal theme onto stage. Also, I wanted the opportunity to share the stage with so many talented actors. I play “Owen”, an IT guy who is the definition of a hopeless romantic; naïve, innocent and ideological! My character and I share certain traits. If anything, I would say Owen is a younger, more naïve version of me. I am slightly more cynical whereas Owen is hopeful to a fault. Because we have such a big cast, the biggest challenge has been to get all of us into a room together to rehearse. For me the overriding message of the show is that love, whether fleeting or eternal, will shape you as a person. I’ve been rehearsing for about a month. I absolutely agree in finding true love in today’s world, but I think your chances of finding true love are directly affected by how much love you are willing to give. Before February 14th I was involved in a two-hander comedy called Cooked which debut at The Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2012. After Febuary 14th, I’m involved in a production called An Absolute Turkey at Theatre On The Bay directed by Chris Weare, which also tackles the idea of love.

Director Jeremeo Le Cordeur as “Kyle”

Why not do a show focusing on love and all it’s tribulations? It’s never been done on stage. I’m writing, directing, producing and acting. I’m very much like the character “Kyle” in the show. He represents that naive optimism that all young people have. The biggest challenge for me has been the vulnerability. I’m so used to playing strong characters. This is a first for me. For me, the overriding message of the show is to appreciate the love you have and make sure it’s the love you want and deserve. I’ve been rehearsing since November. I do believe in love in today’s world, and that it hits you when you least expect. My last theatre role was when I played “Neil” in Risk. In the pipeline for me at the moment is still juggling doing ZAnews and then prepping for the Grahamstown Festival. Also, I may have another show up my sleeve!

Find us on Twitter at: @February_14th

Ambrose Uren as “Justin”

I chose to do February 14th because I love the theme of the play and the character is fun to play as well. I play “Justin” – a delivery boy who is single and looking to hook up with someone on Valentines Day. The difference between myself and Justin is that he is way more assertive and confident with ladies! He’s cheeky, has no inhibitions and he’s a smooth talker. The biggest challenge for me in this role was getting that confidence to just walk up to a lady and say what’s on your mind. Justin does that with ease. For me, the message of the show is that love is not just for Valentines Day but for every other day as well. I’ve been rehearsing for three months. YES I do believe in true love 🙂 My last theatre role was in a dance production called This Little Light Of Mine. In the pipeline for me are some stand-up comedy gigs and I’m writing a show as well.

“February 14th” Proudly brought to you by Vulture Productions.

Sitting down to do an interview with Benita Allen of “Chica-Loca!” , I’m overwhelmed with her energy, charisma and creativity. This stylish young designer has a string of awards behind her name, as well as a flourishing boutique in Cavendish Square, Cape Town. She also has outlets in Johannesburg and – lucky for us- sells her clothes online! It’s hard to imagine this mom-of-one finds the time to run a successful label, manage a shop, spit out new designs every month, dress celebrities, attend swanky events and spearhead the marketing and promotions of her brand! We order our lattes from Vida E and get to work on the interview. If you would like to check the “Chica-Loca!” Facebook Page, click HERE.

Benita Allen in whiteKia Johnson and Benita Allen

Tamika: Where are you from originally?

Benita: Cape Town.

Tamika: Where did you go to school?

Benita: Springfield.

Tamika: What kind of training did you do for design, if any?

Benita: I studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town. I dropped out of that and attended the Kalk Bay School of Fine Arts. I also did a course in oil painting at that time. After my studies were competed, I travelled for five years and tried my hand at various things. I was an artist for a bit, a P.A., I worked in advertising, and so on. I then focused more on fashion specifically and completed a diploma in Fashion Design at the Cape Town College of Fashion. That was three years. After that I immediately started up Chica-Loca! around 2004.

Tamika: When did your label start and where can we find your clothes?

Benita: In 2004. So it’s been going for 9 years. You can find the clothes in Cavendish Square, Cape Town, and also at Egality at 25 4th Avenue, Parkhurst, Johannesburg. I also stock online at 36Boutiques.

Tamika: Where did you find the money for your first collection or even outfit that you designed – parents, fundraising events?

Benita: I started off designing a range of tops for Crayon Shoes – they hosted private shoe parties. I sold at their invitation-only events until I was approached by Kim from India Jane at one of the parties. She took on my entire collection in all three of her boutiques and things took off from there! I got my name Chica-Loca! because it’s Spanish for “crazy girl”. I studied Spanish and I liked the phrase!

Tamika: What are your influences, mainly? What are you inspired by?

Benita: I have a fabric-first philosophy. I find fabric that I like first, and then I’m inspired to design my clothes.

Tamika: What’s in the pipeline for you at the moment – what collection, fashion show, event etc.?

Benita: I’m very excited about stocking at Egality. Also with our newest input which has gone into 36Boutiques.

Tamika: Have you won any awards?

Benita: When Design Indabastarted a few years ago, I was one of the featured young designers. We’ve been nominated for a lot of fashion awards over the years since then and have also received a lot of media.

So we all love to keep healthy. I’ve read a lot about berries recently and it seems they are seriously the way forward. I’m talking about dried pomegranates, gooseberries, goji berries, blueberries and strawberries. Here’s a nice explanation from one of my favourite sites, livestrong.com, as to why pomegranates are so good for us:

Scholars speculate that the pomegranate decorated temples in the Old Testament and was buried with Egyptian royalty as a means to a healthy afterlife. It is a viable source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folic acid. Although the pomegranate does contain a high quantity of sugar and is more calorie-dense than most fruits, it does not take a whole portion to reap its rich-in-antioxidants benefits.

Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings—a method of gauging antioxidant power—of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they’ve found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance—a risk factor of diabetes—in rats.

I like that you can eat these things dry, or simply include them in a health smoothie for an on-the-go day.

Here are my favourite places for smoothies in Cape Town:

Liquorice & Lime in Bellevue Street – Fruit Smoothie R28

Spur anywhere – Strawberry Smoothie R24

And Kuai anywhere – Strawberry Smoothie R21

I’ve also found a great recipe for a healthy banana & peanut butter smoothie:

I love the National Geographic Channel. I love their magazines. I their Flipboard channel.

Where else would you find outstanding photographs like these?

So what does “The National Geographic” actually stand for?

The National Geographic Society has been inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888. It is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation.

I think I first fell in love with them when I watched a documentary series they did on Egypt. It’s called “Egypt Underworld” and it basically explores the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians on life after death. They believe in a journey through the Underworld whereby one has to pass through 12 gates guarded by demons and snakes in order to get safely to the “other side”. Yikes! You as the viewer go on a journey examining the tombs in The Valley of The Kings and explore the deep-seated fear the Egyptians had of the Underworld and life after death.

I see now that National Geographic offers grants to “Explorers”.

National Geographic supports groundbreaking scientific fieldwork and critical expeditions through grant programs and public projects. Whether you’re a published historian, a student of conservation, or an amateur genealogist, learn how you can join us for an expedition in the field or make new discoveries as one of our grantees. Tell us more about yourself to find your explorer type.

They give you money if they think you have what it takes to do critical work in Research, Conservation, Exploration, and Education! If you have a project that’s on your heart and you just need money to carry it through, not to mention a film crew to accompany you on the journey, I think you should write in! You can apply for a grant on their website HERE. One project that I follow is the “Blue Holes” Project.

In 2008, Expeditions Council grantee Kenny Broad and his team, in collaboration with The National Museum of the Bahamas, began the Blue Holes Project, a comprehensive exploration of the biological, geological and cultural characteristics of anchialine caves (marine groundwater caves called inland blue holes) and submarine caves (known as ocean blue holes) of the Bahamas.

Here are the other projects going on if you would like to have a look:

How fascinating is that? Seriously, I wouldn’t mind presenting for this channel!! What do you think? Do you like the idea of being an Explorer? If not, what is something which “National Geographic” has covered that speaks to you???

On the evening of December 13, HUGO BOSS presented the BOSS Mens- and Womenswear Collections for Spring 2013 at “The Lookout” in Cape Town.
Around 600 guests – including local VIPs, media representatives, customers and business partners – had been invited to spend an unforgettable evening discovering the world of BOSS in this exclusive and relaxed atmosphere. With its clean, distilled design, the location – which simultaneously afforded a beautiful view of the Table Mountain and the ocean with the HUGO BOSS Hospitality Boat – was the perfect fit for the sophisticated BOSS looks.
The event also featured a special live performance by the acclaimed South African band “Mi Casa”. The skipper Alex Thomson, sponsored by HUGO BOSS, who is currently taking part in the Vendée Globe round-the-world race in the HUGO BOSS racing yacht, welcomed the guests via a video message. Light summer fare, champagne and a choice of cocktails were served after the performance.
The BOSS core brand features perfect, elegant looks with a strong focus on fine fabrics and refined details. It offers a rich array of sophisticated modern classics for business-, leisure- and eveningwear in perfect quality and precision fits.
Special thank you to our sponsors Pernod Ricard who provided Mumm champagne and Jameson Reserve amongst other brands, Ceres Fruit Juice, Cruz Vodka, Peroni, Ryk Neethling Wine. Another thanks to Jan Malan and his incredible fashion team, Marios Company for Hair, Annalize Buchanan for her delicious catering, Wayne Krull from Phoenix 5 Lighting, Bombshell for the stunning waitresses dresses and the V&A Waterfront and Chattels for all their incredible support in making this event a success

I wore a dress by designer Benita Allen who has a stunning label Chica Loca .. stylish ladies boutiques are scattered around the country including in Sandton, Cape Town and Durban. It was such a unique dress, totally original! A Gold longsleeve cocktail dress which was so easy to wear and truly made me feel one of a kind. I remember I spent some time during the day flying around the city to find the perfect accessories to match with it.

I actually ended up finding a stunning little clutch from Accessorize in Cavendish with ring & earrings from Sass Diva and shoes from Nine West. Now before you have a heart attack don’t worry I didn’t buy all that just for this event, I’m not that extravagant! The shoes were bought in London a while ago 😉

Dane Doubell & Leigh Van Den Berg

I really enjoyed meeting up with all my friends – bloggers, actors, presenters, celebrities, sports stars, you name it they were all there! Even Kevin Spacey himself made an appearance!

I just wish I had been a bit more diligent with my camera… but hey, when you’re being fed free oysters and champagne who’s thinking about that? 🙂

with Roxy Louwwith Cindy Nell

We sipped, we nibbled, we socialized & soon we watched the fashion show… Here is a clip my good friend and fellow blogger, Monde Mtsi, took of the show:

All our lives get very hectic from time to time. We need a time out to pray, meditate, brainstorm and think. Where do you go to do this?

I love to do that here in Cape Town is actually anywhere by the sea. I love the sea, maybe it has something to do with my starsign (I don’t know!) I find that a nice place in that case, is at Caprice in Camps Bay.

I like the view of the sea and the white of the venue. The Grand in Granger Bay is also divine.

I love the open space and the sand. I’ve read that the colour white is very therapeutic, which is what both these places have in common.

White is the color of purity. Brides wear white in many countries, because white symbolizes a virgin. White means kindness. In some cultures white is worn at funerals. White is Monday’s color. White daisies are a symbol of loyal love.

Snapped these photos of Charlize having lunch at Beluga in Cape Town, she sat so near me! Felt like real paparazzi 😉 Apparently I didn’t do a bad job as the Sunday Times published the photograph I took in that weekend’s paper. Awesome!